News

Camden Public Library and the Jonathan Frost Gallery in Rockland will mount a joint-effort large art show titled “People on the Move: A Human Crisis, Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and the Internally Displaced” Friday, Feb. 2, at both locations.

There are three special events associated with the show. There will be an opening reception Feb. 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Frost Gallery. Pianist Steve Lindsay will provide live music. On Sunday, Feb. 11, starting at 2 p.m., there will be an artists’ talk at the Camden Public Library. Titi De Baccarat, Orson Horchler, Veronica Kaluta, and Wendy Newbold Patterson will talk about their work and what moved them to do it. On Friday, Feb. 16, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., there will be a reception at the library.

At this moment, across the world, more than 65 million people are living away from their homes, driven out by political repression, war, famine and environmental devastation. A small number of these people, overcoming enormous obstacles, and against all odds, have found their way to Maine. This show is intended to raise awareness of the global human crisis as well as increase understanding of why the face of Maine has changed in the last decade.

Some of the artists are recently displaced persons themselves; others are not. All 25 participating artists have shown, in their work, what moves them about this global human crisis. The subjects of five of the portraits come from the same family of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, now living in Knox County.

The artwork, both two- and three-dimensional, varies widely. It includes portraits; scenes of fleeing refugees; scenes of repression and brutality; symbolic evocations of displacement, detainment and death; and symbolic evocations of the ideals of ethnic and political harmony. The show celebrates the faces and voices of immigrants in our community, allying itself with the theme of the Camden Conference, New World Disorder and America’s Future.

The work will be split about half and half between Camden Public Library and the Jonathan Frost Gallery. The show will run through Tuesday, Feb. 27, open for viewing at both locations during their normal hours. The library is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. The Jonathan Frost Gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Camden Public Library hosts a different art show each month in its Picker Room gallery, organized by events coordinator Cayla Miller. For more information on the current or upcoming shows, or to apply to show in the gallery, send email to cmiller@librarycamden.org. Applications are currently being accepted for 2019.

For more information about the downtown library visit librarycamden.org and check out its Facebook and Instagram presence. The Jonathan Frost Gallery is located at the corner of Main Street and Park Drive; for more information, call 596-0800.

Steven Kassels, M.D., will read from his book Addiction on Trial: Tragedy in Downeast Maine, give a power point presentation and sign books.

A physician who treats people for addiction in Massachusetts and Maine, Dr. Steven Kassels gives many presentations to the public about the complicated issues surrounding addiction. Earlier that same day (Feb. 15), he will be teaching a class at the Senior College with Dr. Ira Mandel about public perceptions, stigma and strategies to educate the public and change their thinking. Based on his decades of medical practice in Addiction Medicine and Emergency Medicine, he uses this novel to provide readers with solid factual information that many would otherwise have no interest in or might not hear about otherwise. While illustrating how “stories” can be powerful ways to educate, in his live presentations, he goes beyond his book to discuss characters and situations to help people better understand the complexities of the reality around us. Please see the attached link in which he describes use of media to educate: http://addictionontrial.com/media/

Also from his web page-> “Addiction on Trial sends a powerful message through the medium of fiction via the outcome of a trio of characters with opiate and cocaine addictions. The messages of societal discrimination toward drug addicts and misunderstanding of what drug addiction really is – a chronic illness requiring a similar treatment approach as other chronic diseases – is woven into the intrigue of this thriller. The reader is exposed to psycho-social and biological nuances through the characters’ actions and from gripping snippets of testimony at Jimmy’s trial.”

The National Library Service (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers books the way you want them: in braille or audio formats, mailed to your door for free, or instantly downloadable. (more…)

Do you live in Rockport and want to know more about your historic home?

All Discovery Kits circulate for a two-week period with a valid library card and must be returned to the Camden Public Library circulation desk for check in. They are filled with books and craft ideas and puzzles, dvd’s, games, etc. for young and old. Great for families, daycares, grandparents with visiting grandchildren, and more! What will you discover at the library?